


East Meets West

by goth_bunny



Category: Overwatch (Video Game)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Bisexual Male Character, Fluff, Gay Male Character, Genji Shimada is a Little Shit, Humor, I love how that's a tag lol, Long-Distance Friendship, Long-Distance Relationship, M/M, Pen Pals, Slice of Life, Trans Male Character, feat. Genji as the third wheel
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-11-12
Updated: 2018-11-12
Packaged: 2019-08-22 06:17:22
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,360
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16592432
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/goth_bunny/pseuds/goth_bunny
Summary: At a class for an English short course, Hanzo Shimada is tasked to write a letter and keep in touch with a native English speaker, who turns out to be Jesse McCree from New Mexico, United States.(Modern day AU, main characters are aged down to be in their 20's.)





	East Meets West

**Author's Note:**

> My history with Overwatch is…complicated? When it first came out, for the first year, I keep seeing it a lot and the lore, fanart, and memes piqued my interest. It was only until recently that my boyfriend pulled me into it, and through McHanzo hell as well! I haven’t been in this fandom for a month and I really want to explore this ship’s dynamic. I think I’ve figured out that a bad habit of mine is to take a ship and put them through an AU or an alternate timeline.
> 
> So, I’d like to apologize for any inconsistencies and OOC moments.
> 
> My first chapters are generally short and boring, so I would like to apologize beforehand! English speech is in italics, BTW!
> 
> Comments and reviews are highly appreciated!

“ _Shimada-san, who did you get for your pen pal_?” Satya, the foreign exchange student from India, asked from over her shoulder, looking at Hanzo.

Hanzo reviewed his sheet of paper, bearing the name “ _McCree, Jesse”_ accompanied by the romanization of the name. He could only utter it back at the girl seated in front of him.

Satya nodded as she tucked a few strands of hair behind her ear. “ _Ah, I see. Mine is-_ ”

Hanzo was too occupied in observing the pen pal Mr. Watanabe, the English short course teacher, had selected for him to make out the rest of the words the girl spoke before him. His eyes landed on the photo attached on the form, featuring the bust shot of a young man. He had tan skin and brown, wavy, mid-length hair parted at the center. If Hanzo squinted, he could just make out the outline of facial hair and freckles. Not that bad-looking, but better than most westerners he’s seen, Hanzo hated to admit to himself.

 

Shoving the thought aside, Hanzo directed his attention towards the man’s profile:

_Name: McCree, Jesse_

_Age: 24_

_Gender: Male_

_Location: Santa Fe, New Mexico, U.S.A._

_Interests and hobbies: farming, herding cattle, taking care of the horses, target practice, playing the guitar, watching rodeos, participating in mechanical bull competitions, hanging out with my cousins and playing video games with them (sometimes)_

_Hiya! My name’s Jesse McCree but you can call me Jesse or McCree, either way’s fine. I’m an only child, and I live with my parents. I generally help them around our farm, which is found on the edge of town, and sometimes, I run errands for them. Life on the farm may be slow, but it’s never uneventful._

_Glad to make your acquaintance!_

 

Hanzo was relieved to learn that his pen pal’s hobbies don’t involve partying or clubbing, else he would find it hard to relate and get along with him. Having a party animal for a younger brother was already emotionally taxing as it is. Hanzo could only imagine how this man’s life was like: tending to the vegetable patch while whistling a little tune, brushing and feeding the horses at a stable, helping his mother cook and set the table, sitting at the porch of his house playing the guitar and singing along, getting all riled up about a rodeo and cheering among the crowd, taking care of his younger cousins and letting them beat him in video games.

 

As the form stated, McCree’s life would never be uneventful, thus Hanzo decided that they would have a lot to talk about during their contact.  Jesse McCree, Hanzo decided, seemed like a man of simple pursuit, but not too simple to be considered dull company.

 

“ _I really do hope this Lena Oxton person would be pleasant to write to._ ”  A voice cut through Hanzo’s thoughts. Hanzo nodded at Satya’s statement, finally looking up from the form in his hand.

 

“Class dismissed,” Mr. Watanabe announced. The sounds papers shuffling and chairs scraping the floor filled the air.

 

Satya folded her form neatly and tucked it away into an organized plastic filing envelope and stashed away her well-cared for writing utensils into her pencil case. Hanzo’s always admired how neat and organized she was, from her belongings to her handwriting; and she was agreeable to be around with to boot. She’d accept compliments with a silent nod, her pleated ponytail bobbing. If Genji found out about how Hanzo held a positive view on Satya, or any person his age in general, the teasing would be relentless. Still, Hanzo just shrugged away such nagging ideas about his classmate and packed away his items with little fanfare.

 

“ _See you around, Shimada-san._ ”  With a swish of the skirt of her blue sundress, Satya walked out and merged with the exiting crowd.

 

Still mulling over his pen pal’s profile, Hanzo started formulating a response letter than he’d write down later that night

 

* * *

 

That night, Genji begged Hanzo to cover the last 2 hours of his shift so he can go out bar hopping with his friends, leaving Hanzo no choice but to comply. After what seemed like an eternity of closing up the shop, Hanzo was finally free. He headed up to the third floor, where the bedrooms were located, and headed into his own. He flicked on the light, sat by his sturdy wooden desk, took out a clean sheet of paper and a pen, and recalled the information that he intended to jot down.

 

With his pen gliding effortlessly on the paper, Hanzo was able to write with ease and in peace, now that his younger brother was out of the house. Had he stayed at home, Hanzo was sure to hear an energetic voice speaking to other gamers through a headset, or announcements about starting a new video.

 

In no time, Hanzo sighed as he finished his letter. With eagle eyes and swift precision, Hanzo reviewed the letter he had written, satisfied with the careful construction and his choice of words.

 

_McCree-san,_

_Greetings. I am Shimada Hanzo._

_You might be wondering how you got a letter from Japan. I’m currently enrolled in an English short course taught by Watanabe-sensei in Hanamura University. As part of a class activity, our sensei handed us folded sheets of papers, which turned out to be pen pal profiles of native English speakers that we should write to. Fate has decided that we must communicate with each other._

_I am 25-years-old, and I have a younger brother named Genji, who is 22. We inherited our parents’ ramen shop and we take turns managing it. Perhaps it is too dark to mention this early on, but our parents have perished in a car accident many years ago._

_Change of topic. When I am not minding the shop, I like to read books, especially books on Japanese history and samurais. If my brother Genji is not outside partying it up, he and I usually watch martial arts movies and period dramas. Our favorite show to watch is called The Samurai, following the adventures of a character named Shintaro. Sometimes, he would ask me to play a video game with him and play on his team. Admittedly, I am not as fond of video games as he is, but I can be competent, to the point of obtaining scores higher than his. Currently, he’s gotten me to play an internationally acclaimed game called “Abysmal Dark”, which he begged me for a week to play, until I finally caved in. Perhaps one of your cousins would be familiar with this title?_

_I see that you’re into target practice, which has piqued my interest since I have taken up archery since I was a teenager. I pride myself in my skills, but I believe I still have a long way to go._

_I’m curious, what is a typical day in your life like?_

_Eagerly waiting your response,_

_Shimada Hanzo_

 

Content, Hanzo folded the letter neatly into 3 parts, sealed it into an envelope, and wrote down the addresses on it.

 

Coincidentally, there was a post office branch open 24 hours just a few blocks down, so walking at this time of night was not a big deal for Hanzo.

 

“Welcome!” the lone worker behind the counter greeted Hanzo upon entering the post office.  The post office worker had a bowl haircut, a nametag pinned to his shirt bearing the surname “Matsuno”, his smile somewhat resembling a V-shape. Much like a frog’s, Hanzo noted.

“Good evening. I’d like to mail this letter to the United States, please.” Hanzo handed over his envelope to the post office worker, whom he sensed had a nervous aura to him.

“I see.” The post office worker weighed the letter on an electronic scale, then dictated the amount Hanzo should pay for it.

 

“How long would it take for this letter to reach the recipient?” Hanzo inquired. “About a week or so,” the post office worker replied. Hanzo frowned over the uncertainty of the statement.

Hanzo had no choice but to thank the post office worker for the services and head home, patiently awaiting McCree’s response.

**Author's Note:**

> This is my first fanfic for Overwatch, comments are much appreciated!


End file.
